


Find His Way Back

by indigo5



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Fix-It, Mentioned Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts), Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, could be read as platonic or romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 23:59:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17887628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigo5/pseuds/indigo5
Summary: When Aqua hears a crashing sound from the library, the last thing she expects to find is Ven (buried under a pile of old spell books) trying to make a Wayfinder.





	Find His Way Back

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Cosmic Love" by Florence + the Machine. That song puts me in such a Kingdom Hearts mood, tbh.

When Aqua hears a crashing sound from the library, she’s on her feet before her mind can process the problem. “An intruder at this hour?” she wonders aloud, “I suppose the forces of darkness don’t follow common courtesy.” When Aqua reaches the library, she summons Master’s Defender and kicks the door open in one fluid motion.

Aqua is greeted by the last thing she’d expect: Ven buried under a pile of books.

“Oh…hey Aqua,” Ven says sheepishly as he rubs the back of his head. “Sorry to scare you. I was trying to reach the top shelf, but I may have overdone it a bit,” he admits with an innocent smile.

“Oh, Ven,” she says, smiling as she banishes her keyblade. “Are you hurt?” she asks as she walks toward the pile of books.

Ven stands and shakes his head. “Nah, just my pride,” he replies as he picks up a heavy magic book and carries it over to the table.

Aqua smiles and ruffles his hair before helping him clean up the remaining books. “So, Ven, why are you up late reading old magic books?” she asks as she shelves the other books. She turns to look at him when he doesn’t respond right away.

“Uhh well, I just…” he starts, blushing as he looks away from Aqua, “I was trying to find the Wayfinder spells that you used to make our charms,” he explains reluctantly.

“Oh. Well, they were definitely from this book,” she says with a smile, “Let me find them for you.” Aqua opens the book to its index with one hand as she lifts the other ruffle Ven’s hair.

“Thanks, Aqua, you’re the best,” Ven says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his tired eyes.

After finding the spells in the index, she pauses thoughtfully. “Ven?” she asks, turning to face the blonde. “Why are you searching for the Wayfinder spells?” She watched Ven flinch at the question, his eyes falling down to the book.

“Well, I…the thing is…” Ven stammers, still refusing to meet Aqua’s eyes. She places a hand in his hair, stroking gently in an attempt to soothe him.

“You always talk about how much your Wayfinder helped you through the realm of darkness…” Ven starts again, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and setting it on the table. “…and how all our hearts longing to be together again made the Wayfinders even more powerful…” he continues, sniffling as he begins to unwrap the handkerchief. “I thought maybe if I…” Ven’s voice breaks as the handkerchief falls open to reveal a star-shaped charm with petals made of blood-red glass and a steel grey heart at its center. As Aqua admires the design, she begins to understand why Ven is reluctant to explain himself.

“Ven, is this for Vanitas?” Aqua asks gently as she reaches for the red charm in his hand.

Ven sniffles a little and nods, “Yeah. I just…I know he’s done some awful things to us, but…the more I think about what he said back at the Graveyard…I should have done something Aqua…” Ven’s voice is barely a whisper as he looks up at Aqua with tear-filled eyes. Aqua continues to pet his hair as she reaches to wipe the tears streaming down his face.

“I should have tried to help him,” Ven says between tears, “or at least told him how stupid he was acting,” he continues, laughing humorlessly. “But I was still so mad at him,” he says with a sigh. “Now, I may never get another chance. But if he is out there somewhere…” Ven starts before his voice cracks again.

Aqua gently lifts his chin to look into his eyes. “If he is out there, Ven, we know how powerful the Wayfinder spell is,” Aqua says with a smile. “How about you finish up that charm while I find the spells,” she reasons as she ruffles his hair again.

Ven sniffles and smiles brightly at Aqua, who can’t help but smile back. She watches him adjust the leather laces on the charm before turning back to the magic book. “Ah, here we are,” Aqua says as she turns to correct page. Ven carefully places the completed Wayfinder on the book. “You made this all by yourself?” she asks as she admires Ven’s handiwork.

“Yeah,” Ven replies sheepishly as he sets his green Wayfinder on the page beside the red one.

“Aqua?” Ven asks quietly, as he looks up at her, “Do you think this will work? I mean…we kept our Wayfinders with us, but he doesn’t have the Wayfinder so ...”

“C’mon Ven! You know better than that,” Terra cuts in with a chuckle as he walks over to join them. “Our Wayfinders strengthen the unbreakable bonds between our hearts,” he explains as he places a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Even if they’re not in our hands, they’re always in our hearts,” he continues, beaming over at Aqua.

Ven gasps when Terra puts a yellow charm on the page beside the red and green. “Now what’s that phrase Sora’s always saying?” Terra asks as he ruffles Ven’s hair.

“With all our hearts,” Aqua answers with a smile as she places her blue charm on the page with the others and rests her hand on Ven’s other shoulder.

“Yeah,” Ven whispers as he places his hand over the red Wayfinder, “With all our hearts.”

**Author's Note:**

> Out of all the post-KH3 Vanven headcanons I'm entertaining, I never thought this would be the first fic I'd get around to writing/publishing! And a mostly Aqua-perspective fic at that! Anyways thanks for checking it out, let me know what y'all think.


End file.
